BioSpectrum honors Indian biotech leaders

BioSpectrum Awardees
were chosen by the 7th BioSpectrum Awards Jury headed by Prof. Samir K
Brahmachari, director general, CSIR. BioSpectrum Awards now in its 7th
edition, in 2009, recognizes exceptional performances by individuals
and companies in this sector. Serum Institute of India and The Oxford
College of Science, Bangalore, were the associate sponsors; and BD
Biosciences and Pall Life Sciences were the support sponsors of the
event.

BioSpectrum Life Time Achievement Award

Prof.
D BalasubramanianLV Prasad Eye Institute

Trained as a chemist, he became an eye researcher and today is an
inspiration to thousands of biologists who look up to him not just for
his leadership but also for his contribution in popularizing
biochemical research. BioSpectrum honors Prof. D Balasubramanian with
the Life Time Achievement Award—2009, for his significant
fundamental contributions to translational biology through scientific
discovery and body of work.

BioPerson of 2009 Award

Hari
S BhartiaJubilant Organosys

Co-chairman and Managing Director of Jubilant Organosys, Hari Shankar
Bhartia, has showcased how to leverage the India advantage and maintain
the competitive edge. Under his active leadership, Jubilant Organosys
is riding on the pharmaceutical and life sciences business, and is
continuously evolving. BioSpectrum recognizes his pioneering vision in
leading the company with the integrated business model offering,
pursuing a fast clip of growth and its positive impact on the industry.

BioEntrepreneur of 2009 Award

Apurva
Shah and Binoy GardiVeeda
Clinical Research

Establishing a global presence across Europe, India, the US and South
East Asia, through a succession of acquisitions, Veeda’s
success story would not have been possible without the skillful
leadership of this entrepreneurial duo, Apurva Shah and Binoy Gardi.
BioSpectrum honors their effort in making Veeda a major player in the
global CRO landscape with the BioSpectrum Entrepreneur of the Year
Award 2009.

BioProduct of 2009 Award

Dry
Tri-T STATReaMetrix

ReaMetrix is the first company in the world to successfully pioneer an
FDA cleared dried-down product to measure CD4 counts that needs no
refrigeration.

Dr Bala Manian’s ReaMetrix, started in Bangalore, has lived
up to the founder’s visionary expectation. The jury decided
to give the ‘BioSpectrum BioProduct of 2009’ to Dry
Tri-T STAT, an HIV detection and management product for the masses. The
world’s first US FDA approved product, available in a dry
form, could replace the currently widely used liquid-based alternatives
in HIV detection kits which make them dependent on expensive and
complex cold chain network. The ReaMetrix product will drastically
reduce the cost of HIV tests and increase the reach of technology to
the people who need it most.

Meeting of minds

The winner of the BioSpectrum Life Time Achievement Award, Dr D
Balasubramanian, has had tremendous influence on the Indian
biotechnology sector. The acclaimed stem cell researcher from the
Hyderabad-based LV Prasad Eye Institute enthralled the audience during
a fireside chat session held in Bangalore. During the chat with the
theme entitled 'Stem Cells and Personalized Medicine', he said, "The
word biotechnology is hardly 50 years old. And I look at biotechnology
at various stages, from molecules to genes."

He has tremendous influence on the Indian biotechnology sector. Whether
it was in laying the foundation for the growth of University of
Hyderabad which today has one of the country’s finest life
sciences school or in consolidating the success of Center for Cellular
and Molecular Biology (CCMB) after taking over from Dr PM Bhargava or
in playing the pivotal role in incubating India’s first pure
play biotech company, Shantha Biotechnics, Dr Balasubramanian who is
affectionaly known as Prof. Balu, gave the science of sight, a human
face. By restoring the sight of over 700 people, the LV Prasad Eye
Institute is setting another milestone in the annals of healthcare
under his leadership.

The other fireside chat with the theme 'The prospects for India's
BioServices Sector', was interesting and enlightening too. Dr Kiran
Mazumdar-Shaw, founder of Biocon and Narayanan Suresh, group editor of
BioSpectrum, Hari Bhartia, the co-chairman and MD of Jubilant Organosys
shared their thoughts on the Indian bioservices. Bhartia, who was
awarded the BioSpectrum Person of the Year Award, stressed on the need
of public private partnership (PPP) for new ideas to emerge.
"Government has the money and will, but execution is required to tap
young minds. And to attract them, capacity building is required."

Dr Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw whose group company Syngene International shared
BioServices Award with Jubilant Organosys said the key challenge in
India is in terms of employable manpower. She said, “There
are young and eager minds who are keen to contribute to India's growth.
Emphasizing on the need to curtail the time period taken for taking a
'file from one desk to another', Dr Shaw said, "We still have lengthy
procedures which retards and delays work. It's because of this that
there are regulatory delays. There's a need to bridge the gap." The
moderator for the fireside chat at the BioSpectrum Awards 2009 was
Narayanan Suresh, the group editor of BioSpectrum.

Company Awards

BioSpectrum Company Awards recognize the contributions of companies in
the biotech sector. These Awards are given to the top company in each
of the biotech segments that BioSpectrum covers. And the Awards are
decided on the basis of the India Industry Survey conducted by
BioSpectrum-ABLE Top 20 Survey conducted in June-July every year